Bible Week Proclamation: Another View

We have received a number of letters in response to our editor's "MY VIEW" column that appeared on the opinion page in the Nov. 17 edition. In it, he expressed his opinion about Gov. Hull's proclamation of Bible Week. As the publisher, I would also like to share "MY VIEW" on this subject.

I believe this country needs to take a good, hard look at the standards we are setting and expecting from our citizens and our leaders. History has documented again and again the downfall of societies that allowed iniquity to abound. Behavior that is guided by firm religious beliefs has proven to be the strongest force for turning the hearts of men toward goodness and decency.

I have expressed this before and do not hesitate to state it again: the voters of this nation should insist on leadership from individuals with high moral character and standards that reflect the vision of our founding fathers.

Our nation's history has clearly been woven with a binding belief in God. Our national anthem, our pledge of allegiance, our money and our constitution all declare this. The Bible was, and is, the foundation of these beliefs.

While I, too, have concerns about the proverbial line that is supposed to be drawn between church and state, I have not yet seen a dazzling argument against allowing that line to be approached at times -- especially if it is done in a way that merely suggests consideration.

So the question really is this: Does a proclamation of Bible Week from a state governor constitute violation of the separation between church and state? Does it cross the line to suggest that citizens, who acknowledge this sacred book, distinguish a week to recognize its uplifting value in their lives?

The answer is up to each of you individually, but I think the proclamation should be allowed. We can always find things we don't agree with, but we also have a choice as to whether we participate. That's America.